Winemaker Notes
An elevated everyday choice, the 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay arrives right on time by awakening the nose with notes of crisp green apple, and the warm sweetness of honey. First sips bring the strong citrus and unmistakable acid of preserved lemon peel, followed by the comfort of toasted graham cracker crust and a subtle whisper of light oak.
Enjoy on a summer evening alongside a chicken piccata or roasted seasonal squash.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of salty limes, lemon curd, white peaches, magnolia blossoms and wet stones. The palate is fresh and flinty, with citrus and mango flavors. A pleasant creaminess in the middle. Medium-bodied. From organically grown grapes.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.